Happy Earth Day! With an emphasis on protecting the planet, South Florida features a variety of fun Earth Day fests and other events focusing on the environment. Often, the events are free and include entertainment and fun for the whole family. Some feature free plants and other free earth-friendly items, while supplies are available. Earth Day events are in Broward, Miami-Dade and greater Palm Beach.

Other writers for this report include Josie Gulliksen and Mary Lou Cruz.

Earth Day is April 22. In 2023, Earth Day events are offered varied dates.

Broward

Broward Parks

Weekend entry fees are waived April 22 for Broward Parks.

Regular weekend and holiday fees for some popular Broward regional parks, including TY Park in Hollywood, Tree Tops Park in Davie and Quiet Waters Park in Deerfield, are $1.50 for ages 6 and older.

 

Plantation

Earth Day fun is 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. April 22, with free entry. The event includes workshops, farmers market, live entertainment, vendors,inflatables, rock wall and other fun for kids. Earth Day is at Volunteer Park, 12050 W. Sunrise Boulevard, Plantation 33323.

Hollywood

Earth Day and Arbor Day festivities are 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. April 21 at ArtsPark on Hollywood Boulevard and Federal Highway. The event includes exhibits, food trucks, DJ entertainment, games and free items while supplies last. A free film is offered at 8 p.m.  Entry is free.

Street parking is usually $1.50 an hour and parking in garages is $1 an hour. Garages are at  251 S. 20th Ave., between Harrison and Van Buren streets and  251 N. 19th Ave., between Tyler and Polk streets

Parking information is online. Single-use plastic items like plastic water bottles are prohibited in Hollywood parks.

Weston

Free Earth Day event is 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. April 22 at Library Park, 4255 Bonaventure Boulevard, Weston 33332, with interactive fun, educational booths, and DJ entertainment. Other fun includes a chalk artist.

Sunrise

Earth Day Festival is 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. March 25, with free entry and free parking.

It’s at 237 N. New River Circle, Sunrise. The event includes:

• activities and rides for kids
• live music
• food and drinks for purchase
• water stations for your reusable water bottles
• merchandise vendors
• educational displays
• free trees while supplies last

Miramar

Earth Day event is 2 p.m. – 6 p.m. April 22 and entry is free. It’s at Miramar Regional Park, 16801 Miramar Parkway 33027. The event includes bounce houses, entertainment, food trucks.

Hollywood

Marine Environmental Education (MEEC), 4414 N. Surf Road, Hollywood 33019, is featuring Earth Day month festivities 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. April 1 on the beach. The event includes a beach cleanup. Other festivities include DJ entertainment, vendors, food trucks, and presentations featuring resident rescued sea turtles.

 MEEC is open to the public other days with educational exhibits and rescued sea turtles.  The female turtles are at the facility and non-releasable due to injuries from watercraft.

Usually weekend and holiday rates for beach parking is $4 an hour and $3 an hour Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Dania Beach

Dania is offering an Earth Day beach cleanup. It’s 3 p.m. – 6 p.m. April 20 at 300 N. Beach Road, with free entry and free parking. Other features are a pier art walk, face painting, and light refreshments and water.

Fort Lauderdale

Ocean Conservation Day & Fort Lauderdale Pirate Fest. The event  includes  live entertainment, a pirate ship, environmental groups, pony rides, beer garden, and other fun. The event is  11 a.m. – 7 p.m. April 29 at Esplanade Park, 400 SW 2nd St., Fort Lauderdale 33312. Entry is free.

Fort Lauderdale

Earth Day vendor market is 12 p.m. – 4 p.m. April 22, with free yoga at 12 p.m. and music at 1 p.m., Society Las Olas, 301 SW First Avenue, Fort Lauderdale.

Coral Springs

EarthFest for Earth Day and Arbor Day  is 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. April 22 at Sawgrass Nature Center, 3000 Sportsplex Drive 33065. EarthFest includes  raffles for a rain barrel and other prizes, nature exhibits, and vendors. Entry is free.

Miami-Dade

Earth Love Fest

Earth Love Fest is 12 p.m. – 8 p.m. April 22 at The Mango Grove, 18550 SW 134 Avenue,  Miami 33177. The event includes gardening, dance, vendors, university environmental projects, panels, fun for kids, plant-based-food vendors. Entertainers are Emilia Garth, Chris Orange, and Locos Por Juana.  Tickets, including fees, are $17.85 to $37.05, and free for kids 3 and younger.

ArtLab: Free Plastic

ArtLab: Free Plastic is April 22 throughout the day at Apple Store at Aventura Mall, 19501 Biscayne Blvd. This event will feature a presentation on proper recycling practices and include a fun demonstration on transforming plastic trash into new material. Loose plastic letters will be available for arranging messages, and participants will have the opportunity to craft poetry on an iPad using the Notes app.

Party for the Planet

Party for the Planet Earth Day is 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 22 & 23 at Zoo Miami. Admission is free with the donation of a used cellphone. The event includes a mobile scavenger hunt. 12400 SW 152 St., Miami.

Earth Day Celebrations in Doral

Earth Day Celebrations in Doral are happening Thursdays, April 6, 12, 20 and 27 from 5-7 p.m. at Doral Glades Park. Admission is free but RSVP required. The events include storytime with caterpillars which will then release weeks later when they are butterflies, interactive mini workshops all about recycling and the hands-on interactive workshop “How to Start your Garden at Home.” 7600 NW 89 Pl., Doral.

Earth Day Market

Earth Day Market is 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sat., April 22  at Thrift Vintage Outlet. Admission is free but RSVP required. The event includes music, food for purchase, mocktails and environmental booths including a bee educator, re-work station and compost educator. 2540 W. 84 St., Hialeah.

Gaia: The Earth on Key Biscayne

This global touring art installation by UK artist Luke Jerram features a scale replica of Earth measuring nearly 23 feet in diameter,  created using detailed NASA imagery of the planet’s surface. The exhibit will be on display at the Art in Public Places: Monaco Reflection Pools, 530 Crandon Boulevard, on Key Biscayne for three days each week starting on Earth Day Eve, April 21 through the weekend of May 7.  The globe will be lit from sundown to midnight.  

2nd Annual Earth Day Plant Based Weekend at Smorgasburg Miami

On Savor 60+ vendors’ regular menus and 10 guest vendors serving delicious vegan and plant-based dishes on Saturday, April 29 and Sunday, April 30 from noon to 7 p.m. at Smorgasburg Miami. Enjoy a lineup of activities like sourdough bread making class by Oori Bakeshop and tarot reading by Serendipity as well as a Handpan drum ceremony by Michael Cantalupo and live music with Lotus Collection. Full event schedule and Vendor Specials are on instagram @smorgasburgmiami

Earth Day Drive-Thru Tree Giveaway

Earth Day Drive-Thru Tree Giveaway is 8:30 a.m. to noon Sat., April 22  at Betty T. Ferguson Recreational Complex. Admission is free but RSVP required. Trees being distributed include: Allspice, Avocado, Barbados Cherry, Bay Rum, Black Bead, Cashew, Dahoon Holly, Indian Tamarind, June Plum, Loquat, Mango, Mexican Alvaradoa, Miracle Fruit, Redberry Stopper, Silver Buttonwood, Sour Sop and Wild Cinnamon. Participants may select up to two (2) trees – one (1) fruit and one (1) native tree. Quantities are limited and subject to availability. Those receiving trees must have proof of residency in the City of Miami Gardens. For more information, please contact Keep Miami Gardens Beautiful at 786-279-1268 or snewman@miamigardens-fl.gov. 3000 NW 199 St., Miami Gardens.

Tree Planting Event

Tree Planting Event is April 22 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Kendall Indian Hammocks Park. Admission is free but RSVP required. The restoration project involves removing invasive air potato vines and planting native trees, shrubs, and pollinator plants to restore the habitat. The project is part of the Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department’s Earth Day festival, which also includes educational booths, a tree and orchid giveaway, and other activities to promote environmental conservation. 11395 SW 79 St., Miami

#MiamiTech Earth Day Park & Beach Clean Up

Earth Day Park & Beach Clean Up is April 22 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Collins Park. Admission is free but RSVP required. The day begins with Yoga in the Park with Virginia Ansaldi followed by park and beach cleanup with Blue Scholars Initiative; vertical oyster gardening with Watershed Action Lab; fish school with Sereia Film and marine life coloring with FIKARI. 2100 Collins Ave., Miami Beach.

Bonsai Pop Up Expo

The Coral Gables Museum is hosting a three-day Bonsai Pop Up Expo in their courtyard in honor of Earth Day. Event is all day from April 21-23. The Museum is at 285 Aragon Ave., Coral Gables. This event is free.

Plastic Fishing Festival and Surfside Earth Resource Fair

Plastic Fishing Festival and Surfside Earth Resource Fair is April 22 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at Surfside Community Center. Admission is free but RSVP required. The day’s activities include picking plastic up on the beach, coming back to the Center and creating a plastic fish out of the found materials. Also, check out info booths from Miami-Dade County’s Sea Turtle Program and Ocean Rescue Alliance International. 9301 Collins Ave., Miami Beach. 

Earth Day Paint & Plant Workshop

Earth Day Paint & Plant Workshop is April 22 5-6:30 p.m. at The Peacemaker. Admission is free but RSVP required. Workshop on plant arrangement is led by Tatiana Quinto AKA Mrs. Freshcut. Participants will paint their own container and then work on a plant arrangement. All materials will be provided. 8100 SW 81 Dr., Miami.

Earth Fair

Earth Fair is 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sat., April 22  at Enchanted Forest Park. Admission is free but RSVP required. The event includes music, food for purchase, work by local artists, giveaways and free recycling services. 1725 NE 135 St., North Miami.

Earth Day Jewelry-Making Workshop

Earth Day Workshop: Make Jewelry & Art with scraps by Riki is 1-2:30 p.m. Sat., April 22  at Miami Beach Botanical Garden. Admission is $12 RSVP required. Learn how to make jewelry from discarded materials, particularly scraps found during beach visits. 2000 Convention Center Dr., Miami Beach.

Frost Family Day Earth Day theme

Palm Beach 

Boynton Beach

FREE Earth Day Celebration: 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Saturday, April 22, 2023 in Centennial Park, 120 E. Ocean Ave.,  Boynton Beach. There will be free trees, two per household while supplies last; a Eco Market & Expo;  The Picnic food and beverage vendor, and Kona Ice. Free parking: On the corner of Boynton Beach and Seacrest boulevards. Accessible parking will also be available. 

Jupiter

April 22: Earth Day Craft Bazaar, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Busch Wildlife Sanctuary, 2500 Jupiter Park Drive, Jupiter, FL. Local arts and crafts vendors will be on site with music by Mangrove Mark, plus 25 percent of all proceeds will go to help further support the sanctuary and Busch Wildlife. Free admission. Call 561-575-3399 or visit buschwildlife.org.

Palm Beach Gardens

April 22 noon to 3 p.m.: BEE Kind to Our Planet Earth Day Celebration with un-BEE-liveable activities. Downtown Palm Beach Gardens, 11701 Lake Victoria Gardens Ave. See this website for more details.

Wellington

Earth Day & Arbor Day Celebration: 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Saturday, April 22, at the Community Center, Town Center Promenade, 12150 Forest Hill Blvd., Wellington. enjoy a FREE day of fun and learning at Wellington’s Earth Day & Arbor Day Celebration on the Town Center Promenade. Join the Village Council at the start of the event for the planting of a Pond Cypress Tree in honor of Arbor Day.

Activities include:

• Earth friendly products and demonstrations
• Free native seedlings
• Free raffle for a Red Maple Tree in a 15-gallon container
• Giveaways
• Learn proper tree pruning with Wellington Public Works staff
• Tree planting with Village of Wellington’s Council in honor of Arbor Day
• Visit with Smokey Bear!
• Visit with local vendors and community partners.

North Palm Beach

Earth Day at Anchorage Park: 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Saturday, April 22, at Anchorage Park, 603 Anchorage Drive, North Palm Beach. Free.

The North Palm Beach Library invites guests to bring plants for the plant swap. Meet fellow plant-keepers and exchange plants with each other. While you’re hanging out, help clean up with the Park Cleanup. Bringing the kids along? Have them join the kid’s scavenger hunt. If they find all the plants around the park, they get a free succulent to take home as a prize.

West Palm Beach

Celebrate Earth Day: Recycle for Good, Saturday, April 22 from 9:20 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the KidSpace, 3rd Floor, Mandel Public Library of West Palm Beach, 411 Clematis St. West Palm Beach. It’s free for families with kids ages 5-18. Bring your imagination to make an upcycled craft and help support the Ronald McDonald House of South Florida by collecting pop tabs. Stop by KidSpace 2-4 p.m. on Earth Day to watch “The Lorax.” Bring your container from home to decorate. For more information, visit wpbcitylibrary.org or call 561-868-7701. No registration required.

Earth Day Celebration at Okeeheelee Nature Center, Saturday, April 22, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., 7715 Forest Hill Blvd., West Palm Beach. Families of all ages are welcome; no registration required. Admission is free. Activities include eco-friendly crafts and activities to food trucks and live animal presentations, and you can explore all the nature center has to offer since its opening in 1992. Call 561-233-1400.

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Other Festivals

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Tuesday, May 30, 2023